


Tidal Waves

by Queenzie



Category: DC Animated Universe (Timmverse), DCU (Comics), Robin: Son of Batman (Comics), Teen Titans - All Media Types
Genre: 17th Century, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Pirate, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Violence, Childhood Trauma, Desert Island, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Mild Sexual Content, Pirates, Quests, Royalty, Slow Build, Stranded, Witchcraft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:26:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27801499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queenzie/pseuds/Queenzie
Summary: As Raven is about to be publicly executed for rumors of witchcraft, she meets the most arrogant pirate in the history of the 17th century; Damian Al Ghul. The two of them must put aside their differences in order to complete their quests.
Relationships: Raven/Damian Wayne
Comments: 41
Kudos: 116





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> Title is most likely going to change.

The radiant yellow sun's rays beat down on the top of Raven's head as she was forced up a set of wooden stairs. She nearly tripped on her dress as she was being roughly escorted towards her death. Displayed before her were hundreds of citizens, women, men and even children, all eyes watching her.

The guards tightened their grip on her arms as she thrashed around, trying to break free from their grasp. "Release me!" she demanded. She tried to resist their brute force, but the guards grabbed her by the hair and forced her back into submission.

As they made their way across the planked platform, a tall wooden stake came into her view. There was also a guillotine and noose on the platform. The two guards stopped in their tracks as they approached the stake.

The two guards hoisted her up while two others tightly bound her wrists and ankles to the thick wooden poles, disregarding her kicks and attempted punches. Her dark Victorian dress flapped in the wind as she was successfully restrained to the stake.

"I'm _not_ a witch!" Raven objected at the top of her lungs as she squirmed in her restraints. The crowd watched her with distraught expressions. "You're all insane-"

"Quiet, witch," a man dressed in a red coat spoke as he approached her. The man was holding a paper scroll in his hand. Behind him were two more men escorting two pirates to the noose and guillotine.

Once the other two boys were restrained to their execution device, the man stood before the crowd and unraveled his scroll to read aloud.

"I hereby condemn Raven of Azarath to death for the practice of witchcraft, as well as Suren Darga and Damian Ghul of Infinity Island to death for the practice of piracy, thievery, and manslaughter," the man spoke as he rolled his scroll back up. "Are there any last words?"

"You're all fools to disregard my prophecy!" Raven shouted, pulling her wrists against the bindings in an attempt to break free. "You'll all be sorry when the world ends! When the tides rise higher than mountains, and the strongest winds tear us all apart! When the sun-"

"My God, will someone kill her already? I'm getting a headache," one of the pirates spoke up. She turned her head and made eye contact with the one strapped into the guillotine.

Raven's eyes met his glare. " _Excuse me?_ "

" _You are annoying,_ " he simply said, his gaze unmoving from hers.

" _Why you-_ " Raven started but was cut off by the officer.

"Shut it, both of you!" he said and struck the light against the flint. As soon as the stick was lit, he tossed it to the bottom of the wooden stake and watched as it slowly combusted. Raven screamed as the scorching flames began to gradually climb up the wood.

After this, the officer looked over towards the guard stationed at the guillotine. Once he gave a nod, the guard placed his hand on the lever to free the shiny blade above the pirates head.

Before he could pull it down, a shot rang out in the town and the guard fell to the stone ground. Blood immediately began to pool around his head.

"Took her long enough," one pirate spoke as he watched their crewmate swing from a rope to the platform.

"Seize her!" the officer said. Before the guards could grab her, she used both of her pistols to take them out. People in the crowd began to scream and flee the area as they watched her mercilessly murder the guards.

"One minute later and I would've been headless, Ducard!" the pirate in the guillotine scolded as she undid the restraints on his hands and got him out of the execution device.

"Well, unfortunately, it looks like you're still here, Damian," she retorted before pulling out a knife and cutting the other pirate free from his restraints.

"Thank you," Suren said as he rubbed his irritated wrists.

"Now let's get the hell out of here while we can," Damian said as he led his crew down from the platform.

"Hey!" Raven raspily called out between coughing fits. The smoke inhalation was quickly taking a toll on her. "Please... help... me!" she begged.

The dark smoke from the flames was swarming around her as they inched closer to her feet. Maya stopped in her tracks at the sound of her voice.

"Don't even think about it," Damian warned after noticing Maya stopped following behind him. "She's not sane."

"That doesn't mean she isn't worth saving," Maya said before turning around and approaching the burning stake.

Suren let out a groan as he followed suit. "You too?" Damian questioned in disbelief as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Dammit," he cursed under his breath before turning around as well and assisted the other two in cutting her loose from the restraints.

"I've got 'er," Suren assured them as he caught her in his arms once she was free. Maya quickly stomped out the fire that was beginning to spread at the bottom of her dress.

"Thank... you," Raven weakly spoke as Suren adjusted his grip on her and started carrying her bridal style.

The three began moving quickly, trying to sneak out of being caught again. The citizens were too afraid of them to alert the authorities.

"What do we do with her?" Maya questioned quietly as the three of them began squeezing their way down an alley.

"Leave her somewhere," Damian simply responded.

"Um," Suren suddenly spoke up.

"What?" Damian asked and turned his head the slightest to meet his gaze through the corner of his eye.

Suren nervously laughed when they made eye contact. "She's... unconscious," he informed the two. Damian let out an exasperated groan at the information.

"We can't just leave her," Maya said and glared at Damian.

"Well I won't tolerate some insane woman on my ship," Damian sternly responded.

Before they could reach the end of the alley, a guard appeared before them. "Halt!"

"I'll hold them off, you two get to the ship. I'll meet you there," Maya said and pulled out her pistol 

"You can't take them all by yourself," Damian said and went to place his hand on her shoulder, but she turned away.

"Go," she ordered. "I promise I'll be there by the time you're leaving."

Suren and Damian quickly exchanged glances before taking off in the opposite direction. They could hear the sound of multiple gunshots growing distant as they got further, but refused to turn around.

Soon after they left Maya behind, they reached their ship. As soon as they boarded their vessel, Damian hesitantly placed his hand on the rope that held the anchor on the other end.

"Ducard better hurry," he said as he studied the port below in search of their missing crewmate.

Suren carefully set Raven down against the railing of the ship. "What should we do with her?" he questioned.

Damian turned his head to look at the unconscious woman. "Tie her up and put her in the med bay," he decided. Suren nodded and picked her up once again, taking her inside the ship's interior.

"Lift the anchor!" a female voice shouted from below.

Damian easily recognized Maya's voice and began pulling the anchor up, using all of his arm's strength to lift the heavy weight. Maya swiftly climbed up the ladder just in time to help him set the anchor aside.

"Told you I'd be back," Maya spoke up and placed her hands on her hips after releasing their sails.

Damian quickly noticed the blood that seeped through her clothes on her shoulder. "I guess in one piece was out of the deal," he replied and let out a sigh as he started heading to the helm. "I'm going to set us on course. Go to the med bay so we can tend to your injury."

"Did you decide to bring the witch girl?" Maya decided to question as she followed behind him.

"We didn't really have time to decide," Damian responded as he firmly grabbed a hold of the wheel, steering it away from the port. "She's tied up in the med bay until we figure out what to do with her."

"You know, it wouldn't be so bad to have another woman aboard," Maya joked as she turned on her heels to head towards the inside of the ship. Damian rolled his eyes as he glanced down at the compass in his hand.

" _Yeah, right_ ," he sarcastically muttered to himself before gazing out at the sea in front of him.


	2. Deal

"Ouch!"

Damian looked at Maya with an unamused expression. "If you can take the bullet, you can take the stitch," he said as he continued to close up her now clean wound.

"Still hurts," Maya said before letting out a sigh. While he was stitching her up, she let her attention fall on the sleeping girl lying in the bed across from her. "She's still out?"

"It hasn't been that long," Suren responded as he looked down at the girl. "I'm surprised she's alive. She weighs nothing, so I'm assuming she hasn't eaten in days."

"Or bathed," Maya noted as her eyes traced over the dirt that layered her skin and dress. Her long black hair was also tangled.

Damian scoffed. "Tt. So _that's_ why it stinks in here," he commented.

Maya rolled her eyes at the comment. "We were like that too when we decided to run away," she said.

Raven slowly stirred as she began to regain consciousness. The commotion was waking her up.

"She's awake," Suren informed as he met her half-lidded gaze.

Raven rose up in a panic as soon as she realized her wrists and ankles were bound together once again. "What-"

"Don't try anything stupid," Damian warned as he finished up Maya's stitches and cleansed the area. Raven took this opportunity to thoroughly take in the three pirates' appearances.

The one she assumed was captain of the ship, Damian, wore a dark green jacket that was lined with gold over his white shirt. His pants were dark and he wore boots, just like the other two. Around his forehead was a black bandana, and unlike most captains, he didn't wear a hat. He had a dark complexion, but to her surprise, his eyes were a dark shade of blue.

The other boy, Suren, wore mainly black and red colored clothes. He had dark skin as well as Damian, but his hair was much longer, as the shaggy black strands roughly stuck out of the bottom of his red bandana.

The girl, Maya, also had dark skin. This is when Raven decided that the three came from the same country. Her eyes were a dark shade of brown like Suren's, and her long sleek black hair flowed freely from her pink bandana. Her clothes were mostly white and loose fitting.

Maya hopped off from the bed as soon as he finished and made her way towards the other girl. "We won't hurt you," she assured her. "They only tied you up because they're afraid of what you could do."

"Hey-" Suren and Damian both objected, but was cut off as Maya continued.

"You're not going to hurt us, are you?" Maya questioned as she met the girl's gaze.

Raven averted her gaze, a shameful expression on her face. "You saved me, why would I?"

A comforting smile made its way to Maya's lips as she began to untie the rope around Raven's wrists.

"You are too trusting," Damian complained as he watched Maya release Raven from her restraints.

Raven immediately rubbed her sore violet wrists once they were free. "Thank you," she spoke and turned to let her legs dangle over the edge of the bed.

Maya studied her thin frame before speaking again. "Are you hungry?" she decided to ask.

Raven meekly nodded. The sudden attention was beginning to embarrass her.

Maya helped her stand up. "I'll show you to the kitchen," she offered.

Damian and Suren watched quietly as the two girls left the med bay and went to go tour the ship.

"Does she listen to a word I say?" Damian spoke and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Suren innocently shrugged his shoulders at Damian's comment.

* * *

After showing Raven around the ship and letting her wash herself up, Maya had cooked dinner for the crew.

"Don't mind the boys," Maya spoke as her and Raven were setting the dining tables. "They act all tough, but deep down, they're sweethearts."

"I just don't want to overstay my welcome," Raven said as she tucked a strand of her long hair behind her ear. "I really am grateful for this. I didn't have anywhere else to go."

"You're a runaway?" Maya decided to ask.

"Sort of," Raven answered. "My mother abandoned me, so I've basically been living on the streets for a couple months."

"That's terrible," Maya replied and rested a hand on the girls shoulder. "You're welcome here anytime. There's no judgement here."

"Thank you," Raven said and cracked a smile.

The door creaked loudly as it opened for the two boys to walk in.

"Smells good," Suren said after catching the scent of freshly cooked meat.

"Duh, I made it," Maya retorted as she sat down in a chair and began eating her own meal.

Raven hesitantly sat down in the only open chair after Damian and Suren had taken their seats. Once she sat down, she immediately began eating.

Damian eyed her as she quickly devoured her food. The girl really was starving.

Once they all finished their meal, Damian decided to confront the new member. "What is your goal here?"

Raven took a minute to respond as she processed his question. "I... have a request," she admitted.

Damian raised an eyebrow. "Which is?"

After a long pause, Raven responded. "I would like you to take me to an island, and in return I will split the rewards with you."

Damian thought about her offer for a moment. "Where and what is the reward?" he decided to ask.

Raven met his piercing gaze uneasily. "It's an island called Azarath. There are many rare jewels there that hold value higher than any seen before. You can have as many as you desire."

"I've never heard of it," Suren said once he heard the name.

"Me neither," Maya added.

"That's because it's not on any man-made map. Only few know of its existence. But, I know how to find it," Raven explained to the two. "Do we have a deal?"

The two pirates glanced at Damian, who seemed to be in deep thought. The room was filled with silence as the faint sound of the ship creaking could be heard underneath them. After a few moments, Damian decided to speak.

"Only on one circumstance," he said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You're going to have to be one of us in order to stay on my ship, no special treatment. Any funny business, and you won't live long enough to see your precious island. Deal?"

Raven's eyes lit up at his words before she answered. "Yes."

When she reached her hand out, Damian hesitated to shake it. Something about her seemed untruthful, but he decided that he would have to find out for himself what the truth was.

He took a deep breath before reaching his own hand out and firmly shook her smaller one. When he released it, she flashed him a skeptical smile.

"It's a deal."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before anyone asks, yes Damian has blue eyes in this and yes there's a reason for that which will be revealed later on.


	3. Training

The next day was a new start for Raven.

The morning began with her becoming seasick and vomiting for a few hours, but she eventually got over it. What she hated most were the horrible sleeping conditions and the disgusting bathroom routine. Raven would take some time to adapt to the lifestyle on the sea, but she decided that it was worth it if she could reach her destination.

With Maya's help, she ditched the dress and tried to match the crew with new attire. She wore a bandana around her forehead and loose-fitting clothes. Underneath her shirt, she had her chest bind with bandages, which was an upgrade from having to wear a corset constantly. She also put on a spare pair of Maya's cavalier boots. Instead of her hair flowing freely, Maya pulled it back into a braid and tied it together with a ribbon she had lying nearby.

"Now let's go show the boys," Maya said and grabbed Raven's hand.

Raven was pulled effortlessly behind Maya as she made her way towards the main deck of the ship.

"Whatcha think?" Maya asked once they approached the two boys. Suren and Damian both pulled their attention away from the map in their hands and turned their heads to look at the two girls.

Damian raised an eyebrow as he took in Raven's new appearance. Her black hair no longer freely flowed and now remained pulled back with a braid. She wore a puffy long-sleeved white shirt and dark pants that were only being held on to her slim waist by a rope belt. When he met her violet eyes in a watchful gaze, he quickly looked away.

"You may look like one of us, but you still have yet to prove yourself in combat," Damian said unenthusiastically.

"Combat?" Raven questioned. This is where she would fail. She was never exposed to physical violence until recently.

Damian pulled a dagger from his belt and swiftly threw it towards her. Raven instinctively ducked down and covered her head, squeezing her eyes shut as she did so.

The dagger went straight behind her and struck into a wooden pole. "Good reflexes," he commented.

When she realized that she wasn't harmed, she wore a furious expression. " ** _What if that hit me?_** " she fumed as she got back to her feet.

Damian made his way over and retrieved the embedded dagger from the wood. "It would've hurt," he responded and put it away.

Raven went to speak, but Damian quickly cut her off. "If you want to be able to stay alive, you're going to need to train," he informed her and crossed his arms over his chest. "Other pirates on the sea are far more ruthless than us. They'll kill you in a heartbeat."

Raven placed her hands on her hips. "Let _him_ teach me then," she said before gesturing towards Suren, "I'm sure _he_ won't try to kill me."

Damian and Suren made brief eye contact before looking back at her. "Fine," Damian said and stepped back, "If that's what you wish."

Suren meekly stepped forward and put his fists up while standing in a fighting stance. "Ready?"

Raven had almost no time to answer before Suren ruthlessly charged at her and knocked her off balance, causing her to stumble backward and fall on her rear. She winced at the pain before getting back on her feet. This boy didn't know how to be easy.

"Sorry," Suren quickly apologized, "I expected your reflexes to have been better."

Damian stood back and held in his laughter. Raven noticed him struggling and shot a glare in his direction. "What's so funny?" she questioned.

"You gettin' your ass kicked," Damian retorted. "I tried to help you, but I guess you can't fix stupid."

Raven narrowed her eyes as she swiftly balled her hand into a fist and swung towards Damian, but this attempted assault quickly failed as Damian caught her fist and twisted her arm painfully behind her back.

"Okay, okay I get it!" Raven seethed as she felt jolts of pain going through her arm, "Now let me go."

Damian remained in the position. "No, you need to figure out how to get out of it yourself."

She just stood there for a moment, her face bewildered. Damian gave her a confused look, wondering if she didn't hear her. He was about to speak, but before he could, she lifted her leg up and kicked him in the groin.

" _You bitch!_ " Damian shouted as he shrunk to the floor. He curled into a ball on the deck, both hands shoved between his legs. Maya used a hand to cover her gasp while Suren started laughing hysterically. Damian soon struggled to his feet as he tried to hide the pain and damaged pride. "That was a dirty move," he growled.

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Was there another way I could've escaped?" she asked innocently, "You said to figure a way out."

Damian looked away, furious. He couldn't tell if she was being truthful. "Here's your first lesson: Don't rely on that kind of move to save your ass," He said before storming off. Suren followed close behind him, probably to give him a hard time.

"I'll teach you," Maya sighed and placed a hand on the other girl's shoulder, watching Damian leave. "Too much masculinity, anyways," Maya said before giggling at her own side remark.

"Okay," Raven said and followed her downstairs to one of the ship's many compartments.

* * *

Maya and Raven spent half of the day training. Maya wouldn't let the other girl stop until she could hold her own ground. When Raven was decent at hand-to-hand combat, Maya allowed her to stop.

"There's still a lot left to learn, but that should do for today," Maya decided as she wiped drops of sweat from her forehead. "We can do it again tomorrow. I'll teach you how to wield a sword and shoot a pistol."

Raven gave her a nod and sat down next to her as they took a break. Her legs were already beginning to feel sore from standing up longer than usual.

"How did the three of you become a crew so easily?" Raven decided to ask. "Seems to me like the boys are difficult to get along with."

Maya glanced at her before answering. "We all come from really shitty families," she said, then continued after clearing her throat, "Damian was the first one to break free from his. Suren and I met him later on, and he convinced us to run away with him. Ever since then, we've been on our own."

"So that's why he's captain," Raven assumed. "I wondered how you two could put up with his attitude."

Maya laughed at her comment. "I'll admit, it takes a while. But, he's worth the trouble. I've never met someone with a kinder heart."

A door creaked open as Suren walked into the room. "Damian's going to set our course for the port of the nearest city, and we should be there in the morning. We're low on everything so we're gonna stock up," he informed the two. "I made stew if anyone's hungry," he added before leaving.

"Sounds good to me," Maya commented as she stood up from her spot. She offered Raven a hand once she was on her feet herself.

Raven took her hand and pulled herself up. The two girls made their way to the dining cabin and fixed themselves some stew for dinner.

"Damn Suren, this is bland," Maya said as she shoved a spoonful of stew into her mouth.

Suren narrowed his eyes after hearing her complaint. "Well I'm sorry I'm not a master chef like you and Damian," he retorted and pouted, crossing his arms over his chest. "It's not _my_ fault we have limited food supply."

As the three of them guzzled on their dinner, Damian walked into the room. "The closest port is of Star City," he informed them. "We've never been there so let's try to make a good impression. I don't have the energy to deal with hundreds of Navy guards again."

Before any of them could respond, Damian had already turned on his heels and left the room.

Raven placed her spoon into her bowl as she turned her head to look at Maya, a perplexed expression on her face. "What does he mean by good impression?" she questioned.

Maya swallowed her food and wiped the excess from her mouth before responding. "We don't have a good reputation in most cities. Everyone knows we're pirates, so it's hard to get around anywhere without everyone wanting to kill us," she answered.

"Oh," Raven replied and turned her head back around to look at her bowl of half-eaten stew. She assumed that now she would also be wanted by the Navy. Her heart sank as she imagined what the 'wanted' posters would look like with her sketched image on it.

"As long as we blend in we'll be fine," Maya assured her as she stood up from her seat to take her empty bowl to the wooden sink. "I'll be at the bow if you need me," she informed before leaving the room.

Raven quietly finished her bowl and placed it in the sink.

"I'll wash them," Suren offered as he stood up from his seat and approached her. "It's my turn anyway."

Raven gave him a nod and left him to his duty. This was the first time she was left alone, so she wasn't sure what to do. There wasn't much to do on the ship.

She didn't want to get in trouble for snooping around, so she decided to return to her and Maya's shared room and lay down. After changing out of her boots, she climbed into the hammock and got comfortable.

Her sore legs felt instantly relieved once she laid down, and Raven soon drifted off into sleep while her bed gently rocked with the ship.


	4. Arrow

" _Damian! Get your stinky cat out of our room!_ "

Raven abruptly awoke to the sound of Maya screaming. Maya noticed her raising up and quickly apologized, "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's okay," Raven assured her and rubbed her tired eyes. Once her vision focused she spotted a black and white-colored cat rubbing against Maya's legs, causing the girl to grow even more annoyed. Raven hadn't even noticed a pet on board until now.

Moments later, Raven could hear footsteps growing closer. "I wouldn't talk, Ducard," Damian said as he entered the room and fetched his feline friend, glaring down at the girl as he held the cat, "He bathes more than you."

Maya narrowed her eyes and punched Damian in the shoulder, "If you don't keep that evil creature out of here, he's going to be shark bait."

"Over my dead body," Damian retorted before leaving the room.

Maya rolled her eyes as she made her way towards the chest sitting against the wall. She opened the lid and began to rummage through her pile of clothes. "Here," she said before handing Raven an outfit.

Raven took the clothes in her arms and studied the fabric. It was a long, white long-sleeved dress with a blue jacket and sun hat to match. There was a silky blue ribbon attached to the hat. It definitely wasn't her style, but she wasn't going to complain.

"We can get you some of your own clothes when we go to the shops," Maya said when she noticed Raven eyeing the piece of clothing. She was already changing into her different attire.

Raven met her gaze. "Okay," she said before changing into the dress.

"Usually we can get by with these disguises," Maya spoke as she carefully slid a sheathed dagger into her garter that was underneath her dress. "But, if anyone happens to pick up on it, be prepared to fight and escape."

Raven slowly nodded and followed her lead, hiding a weapon under her dress as well. When the two girls were ready, they headed to the main deck of the ship.

Damian and Suren both worked together to exchange the flag that flapped in the wind above. They took down their threatening pirate flag and replaced it with a nautical one.

"Looks good," Maya spoke as they approached the two boys.

"Seeing you in a dress will always be a sore to my eyes," Damian commented when he caught sight of Maya.

"Seeing you, in general, is a sore to mine," Maya retorted and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I gathered enough doubloons for the four of us to split," Suren informed the three as he retrieved a large pouch from his belt. Once he had it opened, he began splitting it evenly with the group.

"Are you sure?" Raven hesitantly asked when the coins were placed in her hands.

Suren nodded as he continued to pour them into her hands. "You're one of us now, so you deserve a ration," he said before tying the pouch back up.

"Thank you," she said before putting the money where she wouldn't lose it.

Once everyone was ready, they lowered the anchor and exited the vessel. After being in the ship for three days, being on land made Raven feel relieved. She'd almost forgotten how it felt to walk on land.

As the wind picked up, Raven quickly grabbed onto her hat in an attempt to keep it on. The climate in Star City was a lot cooler compared to where they'd been sailing.

"Suren and I are going to pick out some food at the market," Maya informed the other two as they walked down the paved street.

With that, they left the two others alone. Raven glanced over at Damian who had his attention on the vast display of swords.

"May I go look at clothes?" Raven decided to ask as she followed him to a shop.

Damian looked down at her and raised an eyebrow. "You don't have to ask permission," he said before returning his attention elsewhere.

Raven let out a sigh and headed down the street in search of a new wardrobe. When she spotted an immense selection of women's clothing, she stopped and began hunting through the majority of clothes.

After picking out several outfits, she paid the lady what she owed and carried the large paper bag down the street. She had a little leftover money, so she debated on spending the rest.

When a bookstore caught her eye, she didn't hesitate to head inside and take a gander. As she explored the large selection, she finally found one she found interesting.

"How much for this one?" Raven questioned once she reached the counter.

The older man glanced at the book in her hands before answering. "Ten gold," he said.

Raven's eyes widened the slightest at the price. She was short five coins. "Oh, okay," she responded and went to return the book to its shelf, but stopped in her tracks when he spoke again.

"If you're short on gold I can make an exchange," he offered, gesturing to the red jewel hanging around her neck.

Raven noticed what he meant and shook her head. "Sorry, I can't give this away," she said and quickly tucked it back into her shirt. The wind must've blown it out, she assumed.

Before he could respond, a dark hand placed coins on the counter. Raven turned her head to see Damian holding a book as well. "I'll pay for both," he offered.

"What a gentleman," the older man said as he took the coins and put them up. "You two have a lovely day."

Raven quickly followed Damian out the door as he left. "Uh, thank you," she thanked him.

"I didn't spend any money anywhere else, so it wasn't a hassle," he informed her.

Raven glanced down at the book he'd bought and raised an eyebrow. "Shakespeare?" she questioned.

"It passes the time," he responded and looked down at her selection. His eyes narrowed at the cover. They purchased the same book.

"How ironic," she nervously spoke and forced a smile when she noticed his annoyed expression.

Damian averted his gaze and kept walking as they searched for Maya and Suren. When neither could be found, Damian decided to sit down on a bench.

"You didn't get a sword?" Raven decided to question, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"They had nothing of value," Damian answered. "They only had bows and arrows."

"Oh," Raven replied as she tucked a strand of her loose hair behind her ear. The wind was blowing her hair everywhere as she tried to keep her hat on.

Damian noticed her struggling and quietly reached over to untie the ribbon from her hat and instead wrapped it around her chin to where it wouldn't blow off. Once it was around her chin, he tied it into a simple bow.

"Oh- thank you," she hesitantly said and met his unamused gaze. He didn't say anything and glanced down at the dirty thin silver chain around her neck. He reached up and pulled the red gem into sight.

"What is this?" he questioned as he studied the foreign jewel, "It doesn't look to be a Ruby."

Raven swiftly yanked the chain back from him. "It's rare," she informed as she tucked it back into her dress and out of sight, "I told you that the treasure of Azarath was special for a reason."

Damian cocked an eyebrow as he stared at her suspiciously. He knew there was something more to this piece of jewelry she kept close, but he decided to leave it be. He assumed it held sentimental value to her.

Soon after their conversation, an exhausted Suren and excited Maya met the other two pirates with two barrels in their grasp.

"What the hell did you buy, the entire market?" Damian asked before standing up and helping Suren roll his barrel.

"Hey," Maya defended, "This will last us weeks. So shut your trap."

"Let's just get back before we get caught," Suren whispered to the group.

The four of them quietly started to roll their barrels full of goods down the paved road towards the port. As they made their way down there the sky started to change colors, indicating that it would soon be dark.

As they approached their ship, a red arrow flew by and grazed Damian's shoulder, causing him to yell out in surprise.

"What the-" Raven began, but was cut off by a woman dressed in red leaping down from a rooftop and grabbing her in a headlock.

" _Red Arrow_ ," Damian noted as he stopped in his tracks and made eye contact with the woman. She was dressed from red and black from head to toe, and the only visible physical aspect of hers were her eyes. On her back was an advanced bow and many arrows.

"Give me all of your gold, _son of Al Ghul_ ," Red Arrow threatened as she tightened her grip on Raven, causing her to make a choking sound, "Or I end her life right now!"

Damian's hand hovered over his belt as he glared at the archer. "You think you're threatening because you know who I am, but I know who you are too, _Emiko_."

The woman's eyes widened the slightest at the name. "How do you-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Raven swiftly grabbed the dagger from underneath her sundress and stabbed her in the thigh with it. The other woman screamed in pain as she released Raven and quickly went to pull the dagger out of her skin.

" ** _Bitch_** ," Red Arrow seethed as she went to strike Raven again, but her attempt was roughly blocked by Damian as she grabbed her by the shirt.

"What is the _real_ reason why you're attacking us, wench?" Damian questioned. "You knew we were pirates, so you had a better reasoning for this than stealing our cargo."

Red Arrow breathed heavily as she tried to ignore the throbbing pain in her leg. "I want a ride to Seattle," she admitted once she caught her breath.

Damian raised an eyebrow at her request. "You think we just give out free rides?" he questioned before dropping her to the ground.

"No, I was going to pay," she said before reaching in her belt to find a pouch of gold coins. She tossed it to Damian, who reluctantly caught it in his hands.

"You didn't make a good impression by shooting at me," Damian responded as he eyed the small bag in his hands. "Or threatening my crew mates' life."

" _Please_ ," she begged, "I just want to see my brother. You'd understand that, wouldn't you?"

Suren and Maya exchanged concerned glances while Raven wore a puzzled expression.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Damian coldly said and narrowed his eyes at her.

Red Arrow cleared her throat before speaking again. "I will do _anything_ ," she offered, her gaze unmoving.

"Fine. We have other stops to make first," Damian informed her. "So your little trip will have to wait."

"As long as I get there, I don't mind," Red Arrow assured him.

Damian let out a groan in annoyance. "Just stay out of our way," he finally said before tucking the pouch of coins away and then turning on his heels to proceed with transporting their cargo.

"Is that a _yes_?" Red Arrow asked as she slowly got back up to her feet, wincing at the pain in her thigh.

"From him? Yes," Maya said before she did the same. Raven slowly followed her suit and helped her push the heavy barrel.

Red Arrow's eyes lit up before limping behind them. "Is this _The Goliath_?" she questioned as the large galleon came into full view.

"Goliath?" Raven whispered to Maya in question.

Maya met her confused gaze. "It's the name of our ship," she cleared up.

Once they boarded the ship, Suren raised the anchor and released the sails for them to head back out to sea.

* * *

"Good job earlier," Damian said as he approached Raven's side. She was standing at the bow of the ship, gazing out at the cloudy night sky.

Raven looked at him in confusion. "What for?" she asked.

"Defending yourself," he simply responded before leaving her alone again. Raven raised an eyebrow at the sudden praise before turning back to the sea.

When he was gone, she pulled the glowing red gem out from underneath her shirt and clutched it tightly as she pressed her hand against her chest.


	5. Company

At the crack of dawn, Maya woke Raven up to start training her to wield swords and shoot a pistol.

"Like this?" Raven questioned as she firmly held onto the handgun and carefully positioned her fingers.

"Make sure one elbow is locked when you fire it," Maya gave her a tip as she readjusted Raven's arm, "It could dislocate your arm if you're not careful."

"Okay," Raven said and kept her position firm, her finger hovering over the trigger as she did so. She didn't fire the gun because they had limited ammo. She aimed at a target and let Maya inspect her.

"I think you've got guns down," Maya praised and patted her on the shoulder. "Now let's work on swords."

Raven handed her the pistol and watched as she pulled out a sword from its holster.

"This was Damian's first sword," Maya informed her as she handed Raven the dulled katana.

Raven carefully took the sword in her hand and studied it. "A katana?" she questioned, "Doesn't a pirate usually use a cutlass?"

Maya let out a sigh. "Well-" she started, but she was rudely interrupted.

"His grandfather taught him how to wield that katana before he even learned how to walk," Emiko informed. Neither of the other two girls had a clue how long she had been standing there. "There's no telling how many heads he's whacked off with that old thing," she added.

She was standing in the doorway of the gun room, leaning against the wooden frame with her arms crossed over her chest. Instead of her red suit, she was wearing a simple black t-shirt and jeans.

"How do you know that?" Maya questioned as she stared at the girl suspiciously.

"Let's just say our pasts are very similar," Emiko responded, her voice holding the faintest tone of sadness in it. "Ra's Al Ghul is a demon, and most people that know this believe that Damian is cursed."

"He's not cursed," Maya responded, "We just come from shitty families, alright?"

"Your father was an assassin that Damian murdered, and Suren's father is just as evil as Ra's Al Ghul," Emiko said, "All they wanted to do was make you three a pawn in their sick game."

Maya narrowed her eyes at this. "What are you, a stalker?" she questioned.

Raven let her eyes widen the slightest as she processed the information. Maya instantly got defensive, which meant Emiko's words must be true.

"Just a good listener," Emiko responded.

"I'm sure your story isn't the brightest either," Maya retorted.

Emiko flashed the two girls a half-crooked smile. "I can't judge any of you. I was kidnapped as an infant and trained to kill people," she responded and forced a laugh. "I plan to find what's left of my real family."

"I... hope you do," Maya hesitantly said. It was hard for her to tell if Emiko was being genuine, but she decided to take a chance.

Emiko made her way over to the two girls, grabbing her bow from a hook on the way over. She took the katana from Raven's hands and replaced it with her bow.

Raven raised an eyebrow at the sudden transaction before Emiko explained what she was doing. "Before you move on to swords, how about I teach you how to shoot some arrows?" she offered.

Raven shared a glance with Maya before responding. "Uh, sure," she decided and let the other girl teach her how to work the bow.

"A major factor in shooting your arrows accurately is your stance and grip," Emiko informed her and positioned her the way she was taught. Once she was ready, Emiko told her to shoot.

After drawing back the string, Raven released the arrow. To both of the girls' surprise, the arrow landed perfectly where she was aiming.

"Nice," Emiko applauded and went to retrieve the arrow from the wooden pole.

Raven turned to face Maya. "Want to try?" she offered and held out the bow.

Maya shrugged before grabbing the bow and looking at Emiko as she tried to copy what Raven had done. "Like this?" she asked.

Emiko gave her a nod and handed her the arrow. Maya drew back her string and released the arrow, her eyes lighting up when it struck her target perfectly.

"You're good," Maya commented as she watched Emiko fetch the arrow from the same spot.

"It's what I'm best at," Emiko responded and took the bow back. After that, she quietly left the two girls alone.

Almost immediately after Emiko left the room, Damian stepped inside.

"Arrow girl knows every little detail about our childhood," Maya informed him and crossed her arms over her chest. Damian's expression changed from calm to annoyed.

"So I've heard," he said and let out a sigh. "I do not appreciate her telling our stories so openly."

Raven took his attire into view. He was wearing the same outfit as when they first met, except now he had a jacket over his shirt. This time, she noticed the gold plated guards on his forearms and shins.

"Me either. But, she taught us how to shoot arrows at least," Maya said and leaned against the wall. "Not that I ever see myself using one."

Damian noticed his katana lying on the wooden table. "Are you training her to wield a sword?" he questioned and picked up the dull sword.

"I was, before Emiko showed up," Maya answered and glanced over at Raven.

Damian held the katana by the tip as he held it out for Raven to grab. "Let a real swordsman teach you," he spoke.

Maya scoffed and rolled her eyes at his remark. "I'm going to go make lunch, please don't kill her," she said before leaving the room.

Raven hesitantly took the handle in her hands and gripped the light sword firmly.

"The most simple and essential technique is the overhead vertical strike," Damian informed before grabbing a wooden sword that resembled the one in her hands. He then demonstrated what he was talking about.

"Are you sure you want me to use the _real_ sword?" Raven questioned after watching him pick the fake sword.

"It's better to learn with the real thing," he answered before straightening his back. Raven watched him carefully and tried to mimic his movement.

"Maybe you're not so useless after all," Damian commented after watching her almost perfectly execute his demonstration, "Next time try to be faster."

Raven gave him a nod and tried again, this time her movement more swift and natural.

"Perfect," Damian praised and then changed his stance. "Now for the horizontal strike," he said and demonstrated the same technique, but this time he swept the wooden blade from side to side.

Raven mirrored his stance and gripped the handle firmly in her hands before swiftly repeating the technique.

Damian raised his eyebrow in surprise. "Okay, now for the diagonal strike," he said and raised the wooden sword on his right side. Before he could demonstrate his next technique, the sound of Maya running down the hallway yelling caught both of their attention.

"Captain, we have company," Maya said between deep breaths as she tried to steady her breathing. Raven noticed Maya's voice held a serious tone to it when she addressed him more formally.

Damian turned towards her. "Who?" he questioned.

"Deathstroke," Maya answered and met his gaze. Raven looked at Damian and watched as his calm expression turned into distraught. Her stomach dropped when she noticed this.

"How close?" Damian asked and cleared his throat. He placed the wooden sword down and started to rummage through the vast collection of weapons hanging on the wall.

"They're gaining on us quickly," Maya answered and watched him. "Suren and I can go ready the cannons now if needed."

"Good idea," Damian said and retrieved a nicer version of the katana Raven was holding from the wall. He also grabbed a pistol to place in the holster on his belt.

"Aye," Maya said before swiftly leaving the room.

When she was gone, Damian turned to face Raven. "You can pick any weapon on this wall and use it, just use it wisely."

Raven wore a worried expression. "How big of a threat is this ' _Deathstroke_ '?" she nervously questioned and approached the wall to pick out something simple for her to use.

"I honestly don't know," Damian admitted to her and began to head for the door. Raven quickly decided on a sword and pistol before running after him. When he noticed her railing behind him, he started to speak again. "Most call him the Terminator. He's a highly-skilled assassin. His twisted children, Jericho and Ravager, are part of his crew. The last time we battled, it didn't end good. I believe he is chasing us down for vengeance."

"What is he vengeful for?" Raven asked in confusion.

"I stabbed his eye out," Damian informed as he started to climb the stairs to the main deck.

Raven's eyes widened at the statement.

"Be careful," was all Damian said before stationing himself at the starboard to steer the ship away. Raven looked up to see Emiko in the crow's nest, her bow in hand. Her heart raced when the other ship caught her eye. It was closing in on them fast. A black and an orange flag waved rapidly in the wind above it.

As Raven watched this, two loud explosions were heard and felt from underneath her, causing her to almost lose her balance. Two large cannonballs flew from their ship and plunged into Deathstroke's, putting holes into the hull upon impact.

"We've got three enemies!" Emiko shouted from above.

Raven glanced over at Damian who had his attention focused on the captain of the other ship. Raven followed where he was looking and took in the appearance of the man. He was wearing a two-toned orange and black bandana around his head. One of his eyes was covered with the bandana like a mask. It seemed like the rest of his outfit was simple black and orange kevlar. On his back were two swords.

As soon as the two ships were within mere feet of each other, Deathstroke leaped across the gap and pulled both swords out.

"How much can I pay for you to fuck off?" Damian questioned as he left the wheel, his hand hovering over the katana in its holster.

"I don't seek money this time, boy," Deathstroke answered, a sinister grin plastered on his face. Two more of his crew members followed him over and stood proudly behind him, their swords already drawn.

" _Only revenge_."


	6. Eye for an Eye

Damian narrowed his eyes at the mercenary and pulled his katana out to hold by his side.

"Doesn't look like you'll be getting any revenge today," he asserted and raised his sword.

Deathstroke charged at him, initiating the sword fight. While her father dealt with Damian and Jericho dodged Emiko's arrows, Ravager met Raven's nervous gaze. A grin made its way to her lips.

Raven watched as the other girl made her way swiftly towards her. In both of her hands were shiny cutlasses. Her silky white hair loosely flowed from a two-toned black and orange bandana, almost completely identical to her father. She wore an open one-piece corset top that exposed her legs. I'm her feet were black cavalier boots that ended just below her knees.

"You're new," Ravager slyly commented before bringing one of her swords down.

Raven acted quickly when she did this and blocked the strike with her katana, using all of her strength to keep Ravager's sword from cutting her.

"I guess I'll have to introduce myself," Ravager began and used her other hand to swipe from the side and leave a deep gash on Raven's arm, "I'm Ravager, the only daughter of the Terminator. Do you know what my name means?"

Raven swiftly ducked her head when Ravager swung another strike at her. She had been mere inches away from Raven's jugular. One bad move and Raven would've been bleeding out to a quick death.

"It means to bring _destruction_ ," Ravager answered her own question before raising one of her legs up and kicking Raven to the floor. Doing this caused Raven to lose grip on the katana. Raven watched helplessly as the sword slid from her grasp.

She took a brief moment to glance over at Damian and Deathstroke who were still sword fighting. It was hard to tell who was winning. Emiko and Jericho were close by battling by themselves. Maya and Suren were still on a lower deck trying to fire cannonballs into the enemy ship. She was completely on her own.

Ravager aimed the sword above Raven as she glared down at the defenseless girl, a smile on her rosy lips.

Raven's eyes lit up when she remembered the pistol she placed underneath her coat. Quickly, Raven grabbed the handgun and aimed it at Ravager's head.

"You'll kill us both," Raven warned and narrowed her eyes.

"So she can speak," Ravager said and held her sword steady as it hovered over Raven's chest. A small laugh left her lips when she looked at the useless weapon. "When you threaten someone, the gun should be loaded," she spoke.

Raven's heart sank in her chest at the words. She didn't notice the gun was unloaded when she grabbed it. "I pity killing an amateur, really," Ravager commented.

Damian glanced over and watched the scene. "Dammit," he muttered under his breath.

After dodging one of Deathstroke's strikes, he sprinted towards the two girls.

Ravager heard the sound of his rapid footsteps and quickly turned around to face him, pointing the end of her other sword in his face.

"You come to save your lass?" Ravaged questioned, an eyebrow raised under the bandana. "How sweet. Now you'll die together by my hand."

Damian said nothing as he used the gold plated guards on his forearm to block her sword from cutting him. As he was dodging her strikes, Raven reached over to grab her katana and got back to her feet. Suren and Maya both appeared from the lower deck. 

While she was turned around, Raven used the diagonal strike and cut the back of Ravager's leg, leaving a deep gash. Ravager winced as she fell on her knee. Maya approached the three and took this advantage to slam Ravager on the ground face down and restrain her.

"Now stay down, harlot," Damian ordered. His expression turned confused as he watched Ravager smugly grin up at him.

Raven's eyes widened as she looked behind Damian. "Look out-" she started to warn, but it was too late. Deathstroke quickly grabbed Damian from behind and reached a dagger up to stab him in the eye, causing the younger boy to scream out in pain.

"Get offa' him!" Maya yelled as she got back on her feet, but Deathstroke kicked her back to the floor.

"Now this is a satisfying retaliation," Deathstroke said before releasing Damian and letting him fall to the ground. His hands immediately reached up to cover his bloody eye. "I believe the saying goes 'an eye for an eye', yes?" Deathstroke added.

Maya and Raven immediately rushed to Damian's side, inspecting his new wound.

Suren stood up from his spot and aimed the end of his pistol barrel at Deathstroke's head. "Leave," he demanded, his finger planted firmly on the trigger. Emiko stood on the other side of him, her bow string drawn back. Her arrow was aimed towards the center of his back.

"Your son is swimming back to your sorry excuse of a ship as we speak," Emiko informed him, her gaze unmoving, "I suggest you retrieve him before he becomes shark bait."

Deathstroke stopped in his tracks at the threat. "I have no further business here, anyway," he said nonchalantly and stepped backward.

"Daddy, you're not going to leave me here, are you?" Ravager questioned with a nervous expression.

"I will be back someday," was all Deathstroke said before escaping towards his ship.

Ravager's eye widened underneath the mask at the sight of her fathers ship sailing away from them. Suren roughly grabbed her by the arm and restrained her to the mast. When he finished tying her up, he rushed over to Damian and Maya.

Maya and Suren placed Damian's arms over their shoulders and carefully helped him back to his feet, slowly helping him walk to the interior of the ship.

Once they got to the med bay, Raven began handing Maya all the supplies she needed.

"This is going to hurt," Maya warned before dipping a washcloth into solution and started to clean his wound. Damian grit his teeth as he winced from the pain. Suren allowed Damian to squeeze his hand as pressure was applied to his injured eye.

"Can you see out of it?" Maya hesitantly asked. She already knew the answer.

"No."

Guilt immediately filled Raven's mind. If he hadn't come to save her, this would not have happened.

Maya grabbed a roll of bandages and began to wrap it around Damian's head to cover his left eye. "I'm sorry, little brother," she said as she used her knife to cut the bandage and then tied the loose end. "I would take the pain away if I could."

"It was bound to happen eventually," Damian responded and watched her bandage up his bicep. "Deathstroke would not have left without getting revenge."

"I'm going to get you something to drink," she said before leaving. The room was filled with silence after she left.

"You're bleeding," Damian suddenly spoke up and gestured towards Raven's arm.

Raven's eyes lit up with surprise at him. "Don't worry about me," she quickly assured him.

Damian ignored her protest and grabbed the roll of bandages from the bed. He unraveled the roll and cut off a strip of the fabric before wrapping it around her gash.

"Why-" she started, but was quickly cut off.

"If you care that much about me, then don't let the loss of my eye go in vain," he said as he tied the loose end and quietly left the room.

Raven rubbed her opposite hand over the bandage as she watched him leave, a piteous look in her violet eyes.


	7. Rose

"Your real name. Tell us what it is."

Damian and his crew glared down at Ravager as the mask was pulled from her face. Her silver hair fell in front of her face, blocking most of her features from view.

"Talk, _harlot_ ," Damian ordered and tossed the mask on the ground. "I know your vocal cords work, unlike your pitiful brother's," he added.

Ravager glared up at him. Her right eye was sky blue, while her left one was closed. There was a long jagged scar running across the lid.

"Stop calling me a harlot, _little boy_."

Maya glanced at Damian to see his now furious expression as she tried to fight back a chuckle.

Damian glared at her. "What's so funny, Ducard? Want me to tie you up as well?"

"I mean, she's..." she started to reply, but quickly trailed off when she noticed Damian grow more angry by the second. "Nevermind."

Damian let out an annoyed sigh and returned his attention to Ravager. "Tell us your real identity before we throw you overboard, _harlot_ ," he demanded. "I don't have time for games."

"For your information, even though it is none of your business, I do not have many sexual partners," Ravager corrected. "So that name doesn't apply to me."

"That's quite obvious," Damian said and crossed his arms over his chest. "I wouldn't touch you for all the gold in the world."

Suren let out a laugh at the comment. Ravager glared back and forth at the two boys.

"I doubt either of you have ever had a woman desire you," Ravager said, causing them to cease from laughing. "Besides, you two have been staring at my chest almost the entire time we've been talking."

" _What chest?_ " Damian retorted and earned a glare from her.

"Ouch," Maya commented at the remark and watched Ravager's expression change.

"Whatever. Leave me alone. Deathstroke will be coming back for me soon," Ravager said proudly.

"Leave you here to rot away?" Damian questioned and met both of Suren and Maya's gazes. "Don't have to ask me twice."

With that, the crew left Ravager alone.

* * *

Heavy rain poured down on the wooden ship as a storm hovered over them. Hours had gone by after the battle with Deathstroke.

"Do you think we should bring Ravager inside?" Emiko decided to ask as the crew ate dinner.

Damian met her innocent gaze. "If we welcome her, she could kill us all in our sleep," he answered as he took a bite of his bread. "She's the daughter of The Terminator. We can't let our guard down."

"So what if she's the daughter of The Terminator. My father is the all-powerful Lu'un Darga. You're the grandson of Ra's Al Ghul. Maya is the daughter of Nobody. Emiko is Green Arrow's sister. Raven is..." Suren trailed off as he looked at the girl.

"A witch," Damian added.

"I am _not_ a witch!" Raven defended. "How many times do I have to clarify that?"

"Then _what_ are you?" Damian questioned and leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed over his chest. "Or rather, _who_ are you? I don't believe we ever received a story."

"Yeah, what were those weird prophecies you were talking about when they tried to execute you? Were you actually practicing witchcraft?" Suren asked.

Raven gulped at the sudden attention. "I... I'm just a runaway," she lied, "My father abandoned me at birth and my mother left me a few weeks ago. There's nothing really special about me. And no, I was not practicing witchcraft. Those... things I was rambling on about were just dreams."

"How old are you?" Emiko questioned before taking a sip from her drink. "You look a little old to still live with your mother."

Raven glanced at her. "I'm twenty-two," she answered, "We just have a close bond."

"Twenty-two?" Maya asked, her eyes slightly wide. "I think you're the oldest here."

This surprised Raven. Maya noticed this and continued.

"I'm twenty, Suren is twenty-one, Damian is nineteen," she said and glanced in Emiko's direction.

"Also twenty," Emiko informed.

Raven gave Damian a funny look. "You're the youngest?" she questioned. Not only did he look more mature for his age, but he acted like it too.

Damian narrowed his eye at her. "And I'm still smarter than you," he retorted.

"That's why he's my _little_ brother," Maya said and let out a laugh.

"And you are my _big_ sister because you are fat," Damian said before standing up and putting away his dirty dish.

"More like because I constantly have to save your ass," Maya replied.

Raven quietly watched the two of them bicker back and forth. When she first stayed on the ship, her first impression was that the two were a couple, but now she easily realized that they had the bond of siblings.

"What should we do about Ravager?" Maya decided to ask, her playful tone swiftly turning serious, "We can't just leave her out there."

The crew was quiet as they seemed to be pondering ideas.

"What if we turn her against her father?" Raven decided to suggest after the thought had come to her mind. Everyone's gaze landed on her.

"That's actually not a bad idea," Maya commented and glanced at Damian, who was washing his dishes in the wooden sink. Emiko and Suren stood up to do the same.

Damian turned his head to look at her. "Maybe you're not so brainless after all," he said. "Witch girl."

Raven rolled her eyes at him before she got up. "Thanks, patchy," she responded.

"Tt," Damian scoffed as he started to head towards the door. On his way out, he made sure to harshly tug on Raven's long braid as punishment for the nickname she gave him.

" _Ow_!" Raven yelped and pulled her hair back around her shoulder. When she noticed him leave, she quickly trialed behind him.

"What do you want now?" he groaned when he acknowledged her presence.

"Let me talk to her," Raven ordered as she caught up to him.

Damian raised his eyebrow at the request and stopped in his tracks. "What makes you think she would rather listen to _you_?"

"I'm an empath," Raven answered. "I can talk to her easier. No offense."

Damian used his two fingers to squeeze the bridge of his nose. "Fine, but I won't feel sorry when she kills you," he replied.

Raven if does his comment and led the way towards the main deck. Once they approached Ravager, the girl quickly looked away. Her expression remained uninterested.

"You two here to keep tormenting me?"

Damian and Raven exchanged brief glances before Raven spoke. "You look... sad," she noted.

"Wouldnt you if you sat in the cold rain for hours?" Ravager retorted, her gaze still fixed on the floor.

Raven pressed her lips together as she tried to find the words to say. Damian looked at her with an annoyed expression as the time gradually passed.

"It's because of your father leaving you," Raven finally said. This caused Ravager to glare up at her. When she didn'tsay anything, Raven continued. "He doesn't care about you. All he wants to do is use you. Trust me, I would know."

Ravager looked away again. "What does it matter anyway," she responded. "That's all I'm good for to him."

"You don't have to be his weapon," Raven assured her as she squatted down to her level.

"Why are you being nice to me?" Ravager asked and met her gaze, "I almost killed you earlier."

"I know a damaged father-daughter relationship when I see it," Raven answered.

Damian let out a long sigh. Raven looked back at him before turning back to Ravager. "Do you want to stay with us, then?"

Ravager wore a puzzled expression. "You actually trust me?"

"We will watch you carefully so you can't kill anyone," Damian responded. "But the moment you try anything funny, you're dead."

Raven hesitantly reached over and began cutting the rope that was binding her wrists together with the dagger she had. Once they were free, Ravager rubbed her sore violet wrists in an attempt to ease the pain. "Rose," she suddenly said.

Damian and Raven both gave her a confused expression. When she noticed their confusion, a small smile made its way to her lips.

"My name is Rose."


	8. Trust

"Try to be quicker."

Raven groaned as she blocked another one of Damian's hits with her katana. They had been training all morning and all Raven wanted to do was take a break. The sun's warm rays beat down on her head as she caught her breath.

"Don't hold back, I can take a hit."

His comments were beginning to grate on her nerves. She wasn't holding back, she just couldn't focus. All she could think about was his eye, considering that it was all her fault.

Before Raven could strike him, Emiko spoke up from behind her. "Let me try," she requested and took the full sword from Raven's grasp. Raven raised an eyebrow as the other girl stood beside her. "He's not that tough."

Damian narrowed his eye down at her. "You really think you can beat me?"

"I don't think, I know," Emiko said as she blocked a strike from him. "The _Al Ghuls_ have always been a weak bloodline."

Maya widened her eyes at the comment. "Oh no," she muttered under her breath.

Her statement sparked something inside Damian. Raven didn't know what it was, but she assumed it sent him over the edge as she watched him put in triple the effort that he possessed with her just moments ago.

Damian threw down the wooden sword then drew his katana from his back. He began slowly walking towards the gawking girl.

Emiko took a step back, seemingly a little surprised by this new side of Damian. "You- You actually want to duel?" she asked before nervously grabbing a cutlass of her own.

Damian charged at her, holding his katana in both hands. Emiko began to parry his blows, until Damian began to strike faster. They both clashed swords for a time, but it became clear who was superior. In a matter of minutes, Damian knocked the sword from her grip and placed the blade to her neck.

"First of all, you speak nothing of my personal business," he started, then added, "Second, you address me as your captain, nothing more and nothing less. Got it, _Queen_?”

Emiko gulped as she took a small step backward. She was speechless as Damian placed his sword back into its holster and went inside. Her dark eyes looked up to glance at the other girls before shamefully following behind him.

"Dammit," Suren commented as he reeled in his fishing rod, pulling everyone else from their thoughts. He groaned when he realized the end of his line was bare.

"I _told you_ it wouldn't work," Maya said as she approached the boy, leaving Rose and Raven alone.

When it was quiet, Raven decided to lean over the side-railing of the ship and gaze out at the endless sea displayed before her. She hoped that they would reach her destination soon, but she knew it wouldn't be that easy. All she had was a necklace that guided her.

But, what would she do after she got what she was searching for? There was nowhere for her to go. Azarath was no place for her to live, and she knew the crew wouldn't want her around anymore.

"She's jealous of you."

The sudden comment form Rose caught her off guard. Rose was talking about Emiko, Raven presumed.

Raven turned her head to look at Rose, an eyebrow raised. "What brought you to that conclusion?"

"The way she was acting," Rose answered and looked out at the sea before continuing, "I think she wants something from him. Perhaps to get to her destination sooner, since we've been told yours is his first priority."

The thought hadn't ever occurred to Raven. "You really think so?" she questioned.

"Yes, but thinking and knowing are two different things," Rose responded before leaving the other girl alone to be with her curious thoughts. A short amount of time passed by before Raven decided to check up on him.

* * *

When she couldn't find him anywhere, her last resort was to check the last place she hadn't looked; his bedroom. 

While Raven shared a room with Maya, everyone else had their own personal room. Damian of course had the larger one, considering he was the captain of the ship.

Once she approached his door, she lifted her shaky hand up and used her knuckles to lightly knock on his door. As soon as she made contact with the door, it creaked open. Raven took a deep breath before pushing it completely open and scanning the room in search of him.

When she came to the conclusion that the room was unoccupied, she decided she should leave. However, before she turned around, a framed drawing of a woman caught her eye.

Hesitantly she reached her hand out and grabbed it from the dresser, her eyes tracing over all the details. The woman was absolutely gorgeous, with her delicate eyes and long hair. Raven assumed this must be his lover.

"So I have two stalkers now?"

Raven jumped at Damian's words, almost dropping the picture. She immediately returned it to it's respectful spot and turned to face him. He was standing in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Sorry," she quickly spoke, nervously rubbing the back of her neck, "I wasn't snooping, I promise."

"Right," Damian responded, an unamused expression on his face.

Raven cleared her throat. "I actually came to check up on you," she admitted and watched as he walked into the room.

"About earlier I presume?" he questioned.

Raven nodded once he turned his head to look at her.

"We are both alright now, since she apologized," Damian assured her as he grabbed a spyglass from his shelf. "As she should've."

"Oh," Raven said, "That's, uh, good to hear."

"Mhm," he hummed in response while he held the glass up to his eye to test it out.

Raven chewed her lower lip as she anticipated asking him the rest of her questions. The most important one would be about where they were heading.

When he started to head for the door, she blurted out the first question that came to mind in a desperate attempt to keep his attention.

"Is this woman your lover? She's beautiful."

As soon as the words left her mouth she cringed at herself. That was too personal. 

Damian stopped in his tracks before hesitatingly turning around. "She was my mother," he corrected.

Raven's heart sank in her chest at the past tense. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have asked," she quickly apologized and squeezed her eyes shut. What an idiot, she mentally scolded herself.

Damian raised an eyebrow at her reaction. "I'm not mad," he informed her. "Her name was Talia. She died so that I could be born, so I like to have a gentle reminder of why I'm here."

Raven's eyes widened the slightest. She hadn't expected him to open up to her like this.

"I doubt you came here to listen to my story. What did you really want to ask me? I don't have all day."

"N-No, I mean, I did want to ask you something else," Raven stammered, "But I don't mind listening."

Damian eyed her for a moment before responding. "Well, what's your other question?"

Raven cleared her throat again. "Oh, right," she replied, "I meant to ask you where we are heading."

"I haven't mapped out everything yet," Damian admitted. "I was actually aiming to get you to your island first. But, I have no clue where that is. You haven't given me any insight besides your word."

"I... have an idea of where it is," Raven informed him.

"An idea?" Damian questioned, his gaze growing annoyed as he went to turn around. "You don't sound sure."

"No, I promise, I do," Raven pleaded as she reached out and grabbed his arm in an attempt to keep him there. Her face flushed when she realized how crazy she looked right now. "Just... trust me."

Damian eyed her for a moment before jerking his arm away from her touch. "Unsure trust gets you killed," he commented.

He watched as her violet eyes dulled. The sight almost made him feel remorseful. "But, I suppose I'll just have to have faith in you," he decided to say before turning his back to her and leaving the room.

Raven wore a hopeful expression as she happily followed behind him to the main deck, a smile on her lips.


	9. Closer

As the two of them reached the crows nest, Raven gazed out at the large sea that stretched out over the now orange horizon. There wasn’t an island in sight. 

Raven held her hand up to point her finger in a specific direction. “It’s that way.” 

Damian raised the spyglass up to his eye to scan the area she had gestured toward. “And how the hell do you know that?” he questioned after lowering the device, giving her a skeptical look. There were no stars in the sky due to the fact that it was daylight, nor had she even glanced at a map, so it was improbable that she had the slightest clue what she was doing. 

Raven pondered his question for a moment so she could come up with an answer. “I thought you trusted me?” 

Damian closed his eye before letting out a long, drawn out sigh. She was right. “Get us lost, and you’re fish bait,” he said once he opened his eye to glare down at her. 

Raven gulped as she watched him climb down the ladder. Once he was gone, she pulled the chained gem from her shirt and watched as it glowed once she turned towards the direction they were heading. 

As much as she wanted to tell him the truth of her real intentions, she knew it would be better for her to keep her mouth shut. Besides, he would think she was insane if she did. 

* * *

After dinner, the crew began drinking booze. Not because they wanted to get drunk necessarily, but because beverages were limited on a pirate ship. They were already out of any fruit or vegetable juices and were forced to resort to drinking alcohol. 

While the crew stayed outside drinking, Raven made her way inside to take advantage of this moment and clean herself up. 

After collecting a few large pails full of seawater, she heated as much of it as she could over the wood stove before dumping it into the large wooden tub inside the washroom. 

No matter the circumstances, Raven decided the first day she stayed aboard that she would be clean. She didn’t care where she was, but the stench of her own body odor bothered her far too much. Just because she was named a pirate didn’t mean she had to smell like one. 

Raven took her hair out of her braid and let it flow freely as she climbed inside and sank down in the tub. Doing so allowed her to soak in the lukewarm water. While she did this, she began to reflect on her youth. 

If she was being honest with herself, life at sea was a lot more enjoyable than back home. Not Azarath, because she was only a child when it was destroyed, but back in Jump City. Her and her mother barely had enough food to get by, and bathing was a luxury to them, so she was often dirty. They lived in a small, run down house, which is where she stayed before the Navy captured her to be executed for witchcraft. 

Raven also never found out the reason why her mother abandoned her. Perhaps it was because of the cult she was in, or maybe it was the fact that her child’s father was an other-dimensional demon that claimed he would take over the world. Arella was never a woman who enjoyed confrontation, after all. 

After using a bar of soap to cleanse herself thoroughly, she rinsed herself off and used a towel to wrap around herself. 

Before she could change clothes, the sound of the door creaking as it opened caused her to jump. Luckily for her, her back was turned to the door. 

“Ever heard of  _ knocking _ ?” Raven angrily questioned as she hurriedly wrapped the towel back around her damp frame. 

When she heard Damian’s deep voice, her face immediately flushed. 

“That’s a funny-looking tattoo.” 

The question caught her off guard. Her embarrassment quickly turned into shame when she realized what he was referring to; the black symbol on the small of her back. 

She cleared her throat before responding. “It’s not a tattoo,” she corrected him and looked at him through the corner of her eye. 

He cocked his head sideways before stepping inside and closing the door behind him, causing Raven to pull the towel closer to her. “It’s not? Then what-“

“A brand.” 

His eyebrows lifted at the information. “You were… a slave?” he assumed. 

“Something like that,” she simply responded, her embarrassment returning when she noticed him approaching her from behind. “U-Um, can I have some privacy?” 

Surely he was drunk. However, he didn’t stagger nor did he smell of alcohol. 

“Everyone thinks you’re a witch, is that why?” he responded, stopping in his tracks.  _ Oh, so he was just prying into her personal life _ , she presumed. 

“Well, I’ve heard you’re cursed,” Raven retorted. “But I didn’t think so. Do you believe everything everyone else says?” 

Damian narrowed his eyes. “No, but I expect to know everything about my crew. All I’ve received from you are bits and pieces that don’t add up.” 

“I don’t suppose you know everything about Emiko or Rose,” she responded matter-of-factly and turned around to face him. 

“Queen is the half-sister of the Green Arrow. She was kept secret from the Queen family by her mother and as an infant, she was kidnapped by Green Arrow’s enemy, who raised her as an assassin. Wilson was born by her mother and hidden from Deathstroke before the original Ravager captured her and showed her who her father was before she joined his crew,” Damian answered, his arms crossed over his chest. 

Raven nervously swallowed as she processed the information. “ _Okay_ , so maybe you do,” she said. 

“Not knowing who you surround yourself with invites disaster,” he responded before turning around and leaving the room. 

Once he was gone, Raven let out a sigh before she got dressed.

* * *

When Raven was finished cleaning herself up, she decided to come back outside and search for Damian again. While the others were playing games, she noticed him standing at the bow of the ship, gazing out at the stars. After spotting him, she made her way over toward him from behind. 

“My mother was in a satanic cult,” she confessed. “That is why I’ve been labeled a witch.”

“You again?” Damian turned his head towards her, startled by the sudden approach. “Well, I guess I can say that’s not what I expected,” he admitted. 

“Did you expect me to possess supernatural powers?” she questioned, raising an eyebrow. 

“Perhaps I assumed you were just crazy,” he retorted and gazed back out at the dark night sky. 

Across the atmosphere were a blanket of twinkling stars, completed by a bright crescent moon that reflected on the black waters. As much as she enjoyed the land, Raven couldn’t deny that it was a stunning sight. 

“What about you?” Raven decided to ask, not turning her head to look at him. 

Damian pondered the question for a moment before answering her. “After my mother passed, my grandfather took care of me. He’s the leader of an assassin group, so I was raised to be one of them. Eventually, I ran away from him and found Maya and Suren and we decided to resort to piracy.” 

Raven’s eyebrows raised. “Why did you run away?” 

“I found out that my father was actually alive,” Damian answered simply. “Despite my grandfather telling me he was not.” 

“So, people say you’re cursed because of your heritage?” Raven presumed as she gathered the information. 

Damian nodded in response. “They say he’s a demon,” he said, then added, “But he’s not that strong. I could defeat him if I truly wanted.” 

“Do you plan on meeting your father?” Raven curiously questioned, turning her head to study his soft expression. 

“One day,” Damian answered, meeting her gaze briefly before returning his attention to the sea. “I have other things to do first.” 

“I see,” Raven quietly said, tucking a strand of her long hair behind her ear. 

The two of them remained silent as they stargazed before Damian decided to speak again. 

“I’m going to head to bed. Thank you for the chat.” 

Raven turned her head to watch him leave, a slight smile pulling at the corner of her lips as she watched his back grow distant. Heading him open up to her was refreshing. 

“Anytime,” she quickly blurted out while he was still in hearing range. 

Once he was gone, Raven looked up at the sky one last time and pulled her necklace out of her shirt, her smile widening at the sight of its vibrant glow. This was the only navigation tool she needed. 

Raven went to sleep that night with a warm feeling in her chest. 


	10. Lost

"Where the hell are we!?"

Raven flinched at Damian's furious voice, staring at him with a dazed expression. He had her backed against the wall as he scolded her.

"I-I-" Raven stammered, but Damian immediately interrupted her.

"I should've _never_ trusted you," Damian groaned as he ran his fingers through his sweaty hair. He turned around and slammed his hands on the table in front of him, his eyes frantically scanning the useless map displayed before him. "I don't even recognize anything!"

"Calm down, we'll be fine," Maya assured him, playing a hand on his shoulder. "Stop being an asshole. She didn't mean to."

Maya was right; Raven had no intention of getting them lost. Their course had been thrown off.

Raven glanced down at the chained gem hanging around her neck, furrowing her eyebrows. _Was this thing inaccurate, or had someone else moved the wheel_ , she wondered. Either way, she looked _really_ bad right now.

"You're lucky _someone_ here gives a fuck about your life," he said towards Raven, adding something underneath his breath before storming out the door, " _Because I would've done thrown your lousy ass overboard_."

Raven swallowed as she watched him leave, swallowing back the cry in her throat she could feel coming.

"He'll cool off, don't sweat it," Maya assured her as she placed a comforting hand on Raven's shoulder. "I've done much worse, trust me."

Raven looked at her. "But I didn't intend to get us lost, I swear on my life."

Maya cocked her head sideways. "Do you think someone else changed the course?" she questioned.

"I... don't know," Raven answered truthfully. "I do not wish to be one to accuse others, but I know for sure I can find my destination. I wouldn't have done this."

Maya pressed her lips together as she pondered the subject. "Well, it'll be okay. I trust you."

Raven's eyes met hers with a hopeful look. "Thank you," she spoke. _I'm glad someone does_ , she thought to herself.

"Of course," she said before flashing her a smile. After patting Raven on the back, she left the room, leaving Raven alone.

Carefully, Raven picked up the thumb compass lying on the table and she watched as the needle moved frequently. Her eyes fell to the map on the table and she tried to find where they were truly headed, a confused expression on her face.

_The New World?_

After coming to this conclusion, Raven decided to suck up her fear of confrontation and speak with Damian again. This wasn't making sense to her. Azarath was in the opposite direction.

Raven took a deep breath and prepared to walk into the captains quarters, but came to a stop when she heard two low voices.

Curiously, she slowly peeked her head around the corner of the door and raised her eyebrows at the sight of Emiko hugging Damian close to her, her hand gently rubbing circles on his broad back as they sat on his bed.

Before either of them could catch her snooping, she quickly pulled her head back and let out a sigh as she retreated shamefully back to her room.

Once closing the door, she took her hair down and angrily took the necklace off, placing it on top of her dresser before closing her eyes and relaxing in her hammock.

—

Before the crack of dawn, the ship rocked harshly, waking Raven up from her slumber. She was still wearing the clothes from before dinner, so she had been sleeping for a long time. 

" _Maya?_ " Raven called out quietly, but received no answer. After rubbing her tired eyes, Raven went to get out of her hammock, but was roughly knocked to the floor as the ship moved violently again. This was definitely not a wave.

Raven quickly got to her feet and held onto the door as she opened it. When the next rock came, a loud explosion was heard with it. Her heart sank at the realization that they were under attack.

Raven looked down the hallway to see open flames climbing on one side of the wall. This was bad. _Why hadn't anyone woke her up beforehand?_

Before rushing to the scene, she stepped into the captain's quarters to see if Damian was in there. The room was also in flames, hardly anything surviving. When she noticed the untouched picture of his mother on the dresser, she decided to quickly grab it and tuck it away in her shirt pocket. He would thank her later.

Swiftly, she grabbed a pistol and sword from his wall and made her way up to the main deck, dreading to see what was happening.

Before she could reach the top of the stairs, a man spoke to her from behind. "I wouldn't even bother. You're no match for us."

Raven turned her head to meet the gaze of a man dressed in all black, every feature of his face except his eyes covered with a mask.

He slowly approached her, his sword in hand. "Just surrender-" he calmly spoke, the end of his sword directed towards her, "-and I won't hurt you. You're far too pretty to be a pirate, anyway."

Raven backed up as she climbed the stairs, her hand hovering over the pistol attached to her leather belt. "Why are you attacking us?"

"Your crewmates have a debt to pay to our leader," was all the man said before bringing his katana up to strike her.

She ducked and brought her pistol up, quickly pulling the trigger. To her surprise, the gun had been loaded and a shot rang out, the bullet piercing through his chest. Her eyes widened at the sight of bloodshed. That was her first kill.

"Watch your back!"

Raven turned her head at Suren's voice, a distraught expression in her face when she saw her crewmates fighting for their lives. They were outnumbered by the enemy.

This wasn't just some pirate crew, it had to be an army. There were two ships next to theirs.

When men charged at her, she quickly used the skills Damian and Maya had taught her to defend herself against the men. When she struggled, Rose effortlessly helped her.

"I've dealt with these bastards before," Rose spoke as she shoved the end of her sharp sword through a man's chest. "They're annoying."

"Who are they?" Raven questioned, using her sword to block a strike from another.

Rose shoved the man off her sword before answering. "League of Assassins. Ran by none other than Ra's Al Ghul."

Raven went round-eyed at the name. If she remembered correctly, that was Damian's demonic grandfather.

Suddenly, the men began to retreat. This left an uneasy feeling in Raven. That wasn't normal.

"Oh God..." Rose spoke, dropping her sword. "They didn't..."

"What?" Raven questioned, looking around at everyone else's faces in bewilderment. What was going on?

" **Abandon ship!** " Damian ordered.

 _What?_ Raven wondered, her feet glued to the deck as she watched the others leap overboard.

Her hand reached up and felt her neck, a grim expression on her face when she felt the bare skin. _Her gem._

"What are you doing? Are you deaf? _Get out of here!_ " Damian shouted towards her as he noticed her rushing back towards the burning interior.

"I have to get something," Raven quickly informed him.

"You dumbass!" Damian shouted as he chased after her, reaching a hand out to grab her arm. "It's not that important! _We have to go!_ "

"Since when do you care about my life?" Raven retorted as she attempted to jerk away from him, but his grip just got tighter as he pulled her back to the main deck.

Damian dashed towards the side of the ship, holding Raven's frame tightly as he pulled them both overboard.

Right before they hit the water, Raven watched in horror as their ship exploded into a million pieces. The fiery explosion reflected on her violet eyes before they went under.

Damian had taken more damage from the blast as he shielded her body from the explosion. As he sank lower underwater, Raven quickly grabbed his arm and draped it over her shoulder, holding it tightly as she made her way back to the surface.

Once she broke the surface, she loudly gasped for air. Damian coughed, and weakly held into her as she pulled them onto a piece of wood from the ship.

Raven went to call for help, but Damian quickly interrupted her.

"Don't let the enemy know... we're still... alive. They'll... kill... us..." he weakly informed, letting out another strained cough.

Raven looked at him with a worried expression before deciding that he was right. Besides, the others had gotten out of there much sooner, so they had to be okay. _Right?_

As the two enemy ships began to sail away, Raven looked up and watched as the bright yellow sun began to peek over the horizon. A glimmer of hope formed in her eyes as the sight of a nearby island caught her attention.


End file.
